أَبا زَنَّةٍ لا زالَ جَدُّكَ هابِطاً

أَبا زَنَّةٍ لا زالَ جَدُّكَ هابِطاً

وَحَدُّكَ مَفلولاً وَسَعيُكَ خَياّبا

وَحَدُّكَ مَفلولاً وَسَعيُكَ خَياّبا

O Abu Zanna, may your fortune keep declining,

Abu Zanna, your ancestors are still descending

and your edge remain blunted, your striving fruitless.

And your limit is broken, and your efforts are in vain

وَأَلحَقَكَ اللَهُ الكَريمُ بِعُصبَةٍ

وَأَلحَقَكَ اللَهُ الكَريمُ بِعُصبَةٍ

فَتَحتَ إِلى ضَربِ الرِقابِ لَهُم بابا

فَتَحتَ إِلى ضَربِ الرِقابِ لَهُم بابا

And may God, the Generous, join you to a band

And God Almighty has made you join a group

for whom you opened a door to the striking of necks.

So you opened the door of beheading for them

فَكَم لَكَ في بَسطِ الرَدى مِن حَبائِلٍ

فَكَم لَكَ في بَسطِ الرَدى مِن حَبائِلٍ

تَكونُ إِلى ما يَكرَهُ اللَهُ أَسبابا

تَكونُ إِلى ما يَكرَهُ اللَهُ أَسبابا

How many snares you have for spreading death,

So how many ropes do you have in spreading corruption

serving as means to what God abhors!

That lead to what God dislikes

أَلَستَ الَّذي أَغرى بِمَولاهُ جُندَهُ

أَلَستَ الَّذي أَغرى بِمَولاهُ جُندَهُ

وَعادَ وَما يَحوي مِنَ المُلكِ أَسلابا

وَعادَ وَما يَحوي مِنَ المُلكِ أَسلابا

Are you not the one who incited his troops against his master,

Are you not the one who enticed his followers against their master

and returned holding no spoils from the kingdom?

And he returned without anything left of the kingdom

وَعاوَدتَ فيمَن حَلَّ بِالشامِ ناظِراً

وَعاوَدتَ فيمَن حَلَّ بِالشامِ ناظِراً

فَأَرمَلتَ نِسواناً وَفَرَّقتَ أَحبابا

فَأَرمَلتَ نِسواناً وَفَرَّقتَ أَحبابا

And you turned your gaze once more upon those dwelling in Syria,

And you returned to whoever settled in Damascus looking

so you widowed women and parted loved ones.

So you widowed women and separated lovers

وَلَمّا عَمَمتَ الخَلقَ بِالفَقرِ وَالرَدى

وَلَمّا عَمَمتَ الخَلقَ بِالفَقرِ وَالرَدى

فَبادوا وَأَوسَعتَ المَنازِلَ إِخرابا

فَبادوا وَأَوسَعتَ المَنازِلَ إِخرابا

And when you overwhelmed the people with poverty and death,

And when you spread poverty and misery among people

so they perished, and you ravaged dwellings far and wide,

They perished as you destroyed homes

عَمَدتَ إِلى مَن لا يُعَدَّدُ فَضلُهُ

عَمَدتَ إِلى مَن لا يُعَدَّدُ فَضلُهُ

وَلَو كانَ أَهلُ البَدوِ وَالحَضرِ حُسّابا

وَلَو كانَ أَهلُ البَدوِ وَالحَضرِ حُسّابا

you set upon one whose merit cannot be counted,

You turned to one whose virtues cannot be counted

even if desert-dwellers and townsfolk were all reckoners.

Even if the nomads and settled people were accountants

جَهَدتَ لِكَي ما تَسلُبُ الدينَ عِزَّهُ

جَهَدتَ لِكَي ما تَسلُبُ الدينَ عِزَّهُ

وَكُنتَ لِما لَم يُرضِ ذاّلعَرشِ طَلاّبا

وَكُنتَ لِما لَم يُرضِ ذاّلعَرشِ طَلاّبا

You strove to strip the faith of its glory,

You strove so that the religion would lose its glory

and eagerly sought what displeased the Lord of the Throne.

And you sought what would not please the Lord of the Throne

وَذَلِكَ كَيدٌ عادَ مِن قَبلِ ضَرِّهِ

وَذَلِكَ كَيدٌ عادَ مِن قَبلِ ضَرِّهِ

هَباءً فَما أَخلى مِنَ الضَيغَمِ الغابا

هَباءً فَما أَخلى مِنَ الضَيغَمِ الغابا

And that was a plot that turned, before it could do harm,

That was a plot that returned to harm its maker

to dust; it did not empty the thicket of its lion.

It vanished and did not spare the wicked ones

وَمَكرٌ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ حاقَ بِأَهلِهِ

وَمَكرٌ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ حاقَ بِأَهلِهِ

وَعارِضُ بَغيٍ قَبلَ أَن يُمطِرَ اِنجابا

وَعارِضُ بَغيٍ قَبلَ أَن يُمطِرَ اِنجابا

And a ruse that, praise be to God, recoiled upon its authors,

And cunning that, thank God, befell its people

and a cloud of oppression that dispersed before it could rain.

And the ill wish of the transgressor before it could rain harm

وَلَم تَرجُ هَذا المُلكَ يَوماً وَإِنَّما

وَلَم تَرجُ هَذا المُلكَ يَوماً وَإِنَّما

خَبُثتَ فَأَغرَيتَ الطُغاةَ بِمَن طابا

خَبُثتَ فَأَغرَيتَ الطُغاةَ بِمَن طابا

You never aspired to this kingdom for a single day; rather,

You have never wanted good for this kingdom, but rather

you were vile, and incited tyrants against a virtuous man.

You were wicked and enticed the tyrants with one who perished

وَمَنَّيتَ أُمّاناً كَدينِكَ دينُهُ

وَمَنَّيتَ أُمّاناً كَدينِكَ دينُهُ

وَلَو أَمهَلَتهُ البيضُ أَلفاكَ كَذّابا

وَلَو أَمهَلَتهُ البيضُ أَلفاكَ كَذّابا

And you filled Umman with hopes, his faith like yours;

You wished security for him like your religion is his

and had the bright swords given him respite, he would have found you a liar.

And if the white one had delayed, he would still find you a liar

حَوَيتَ صِفاتِ الكَلبِ إِلا حِفاظَهُ

حَوَيتَ صِفاتِ الكَلبِ إِلا حِفاظَهُ

فَفي الأَمنِ هَرّاراً وَفي الخَوفِ هَرّابا

فَفي الأَمنِ هَرّاراً وَفي الخَوفِ هَرّابا

You acquired the dog's traits, except its loyalty:

You took on the traits of a dog except for its loyalty

snarling in safety, fleeing in fear.

Noisy with safety, but cowardly with fear

كَأَفعالِ مَن حاوَلتَ بِالخَتلِ نَفسَهُ

كَأَفعالِ مَن حاوَلتَ بِالخَتلِ نَفسَهُ

فَلا زِلتَ مَغلوباً وَلا زالَ غَلاّبا

فَلا زِلتَ مَغلوباً وَلا زالَ غَلاّبا

Like the deeds of the man whose life you sought through guile?

Like one who tries to deceive himself

May you ever be defeated, and may he ever prevail!

You still remain defeated and He remains the Conqueror

مُبيحُ حِمى الأَموالِ إِن زَمَنٌ نَبا

مُبيحُ حِمى الأَموالِ إِن زَمَنٌ نَبا

وَمانِعُ سَرحِ المُلكِ إِن حادِثٌ نابا

وَمانِعُ سَرحِ المُلكِ إِن حادِثٌ نابا

He opens his wealth's preserve when the times turn harsh,

Permitting the sanctity of wealth to be violated if times get difficult

and guards the kingdom's grazing herd when calamity strikes.

And preventing the kingdom from spreading if events become calm

إِذا اِجتابَ ثَوباً مِن عُلىً وَمَهابَةٍ

إِذا اِجتابَ ثَوباً مِن عُلىً وَمَهابَةٍ

لَبِستَ مِنَ الفَحشاءِ وَالخِزيِ أَثوابا

لَبِستَ مِنَ الفَحشاءِ وَالخِزيِ أَثوابا

When he dons a robe of eminence and awe,

If you dress in a garment of elevation and awe

you don robes of obscenity and disgrace.

You wear the clothes of vulgarity and disgrace

وَإِن عَدَّ مِرداساً وَنَصراً وَصالِحاً

وَإِن عَدَّ مِرداساً وَنَصراً وَصالِحاً

لَدى الفَخرِ وَاِستَثنى شَبَيباً وَوَثّابا

لَدى الفَخرِ وَاِستَثنى شَبَيباً وَوَثّابا

And if he counts Mirdas, Nasr, and Salih

And if you consider Mirdas, Nasr, and Salih time of pride

when boasting, and leaves aside Shabib and Waththab,

You single out Shabib and Waththab at the height of arrogance

بَجَحتَ بِهَنّاسٍ وَطُلتَ بِتَروَسٍ

بَجَحتَ بِهَنّاسٍ وَطُلتَ بِتَروَسٍ

وَزالا وَأَربابٍ تُضامُ فَلا تابا

وَزالا وَأَربابٍ تُضامُ فَلا تابا

you boast of Hannas and stand tall through Tarwas,

You brag about Hannas and Tult with Tarwus

and Zala, and masters—you are oppressed; may he never repent!

While they and the likes of them do not repent

وَبِالسَيفِ يَسطو حينَ تَسطوبِحيلَةٍ

وَبِالسَيفِ يَسطو حينَ تَسطوبِحيلَةٍ

وَيُنفِقُ أَموالاً وَتُنفِقُ أَلقابا

وَيُنفِقُ أَموالاً وَتُنفِقُ أَلقابا

He strikes with the sword when you strike by a trick,

With the sword they impose when you impose with cunning

and spends wealth while you spend titles.

And spend wealth while you spend titles

تَنَزَّهَ عَن عُجبٍ مَعَ العِزِّ وَالغِنى

تَنَزَّهَ عَن عُجبٍ مَعَ العِزِّ وَالغِنى

وَزِدتَ مَعَ الإِذلالِ وَالفَقرِ إِعجابا

وَزِدتَ مَعَ الإِذلالِ وَالفَقرِ إِعجابا

He kept himself free of conceit amid honor and wealth,

He is above conceit with power and wealth

while you grew more conceited amid humiliation and poverty.

And you increased in admiration and pride despite humiliation and poverty

وَما دونَهُ لِلطالِبي العُرفِ حاجِبٌ

وَما دونَهُ لِلطالِبي العُرفِ حاجِبٌ

إِذا ما أَتَوا مِن دونِ بابِكَ حُجّابا

إِذا ما أَتَوا مِن دونِ بابِكَ حُجّابا

No doorkeeper bars seekers of kindness from him,

And below him the seekers of knowledge have a barrier

while they encounter doorkeepers outside your door.

If they come to your door other than the appointed gatekeepers

وَما تَحتَ ذاكَ البابِ إِلا دَهائِمٌ

وَما تَحتَ ذاكَ البابِ إِلا دَهائِمٌ

بِها عِشتَ لا طالَت حَياتُكَ أَحقابا

بِها عِشتَ لا طالَت حَياتُكَ أَحقابا

And beneath that door are only dark calamities,

And beneath that door are only flattering sycophants

on which you lived—may your life not endure for ages!

With whom you lived - may your life not be prolonged

لَئِن كُنتَ مِن قَومٍ لِئامٍ فَلَم تَزَل

لَئِن كُنتَ مِن قَومٍ لِئامٍ فَلَم تَزَل

أَقَلَّهُمُ خَيراً وَأَكثَرَهُم عابا

أَقَلَّهُمُ خَيراً وَأَكثَرَهُم عابا

Though you are of a base people, you have always been

If you are from a villainous people, you have not ceased

the least of them in goodness, the greatest in faults.

To be the least good and most blamable among them

زَعَمتَ لَحاكَ اللَهُ أَنَّكَ تائِبٌ

زَعَمتَ لَحاكَ اللَهُ أَنَّكَ تائِبٌ

وَما هَذِهِ الأَفعالُ أَفعالُ مَن تابا

وَما هَذِهِ الأَفعالُ أَفعالُ مَن تابا

You claimed—may God curse you—that you are repentant,

You claimed that God has made you repentant

but these deeds are not the deeds of one who repented.

But these acts are not those of one who has repented

نَظارِتَرَ المَملوءَ بَأساً وَنَخوَةً

نَظارِتَرَ المَملوءَ بَأساً وَنَخوَةً

وَقَد مَلَأَ الغَبراءَ تُركاً وَأَعرابا

وَقَد مَلَأَ الغَبراءَ تُركاً وَأَعرابا

Wait, and you will see the one filled with might and pride,

You challenged one filled with might and bravery

having filled the dusty earth with Turks and Bedouins.

And he filled the dusty wasteland with Turks and Bedouins

فَما مَلَكُ الأَملاكِ وَالعَصرِ راضِياً

فَما مَلَكُ الأَملاكِ وَالعَصرِ راضِياً

وَإِن غابَ عَمّا قَد جَنَيتَ فَما غابا

وَإِن غابَ عَمّا قَد جَنَيتَ فَما غابا

For the king of kings and of the age is not pleased;

The King of Kings and the age is not pleased with you

and though absent from what you perpetrated, he was not unaware.

Though he is unaware of what you have committed, he is not unaware

وَما هِيَ إِلّا عَزمَةٌ عامِرَيَّةٌ

وَما هِيَ إِلّا عَزمَةٌ عامِرَيَّةٌ

تُقَطِّعُ آراباً وَتَبلُغُ آرابا

تُقَطِّعُ آراباً وَتَبلُغُ آرابا

And it is nothing but an Amiri resolve

These are only mighty resolutions

that severs limbs and attains its aims.

That cut the Arabs to pieces and reach the Arabs